KILWINNING boss David Gormley admitted his team “got out of jail” in their first venture into the senior Scottish Cup.
Mark Millar’s late strike earned the Buffs a 2-2 draw away to Rutherglen Glencairn on Saturday – with the prospect of a first round tie at home to Tranent awaiting the winners of this Saturday’s replay.
Millar’s volley gave Gormley’s men the interval advantage at the Hamish B. Allan Stadium, only for Jack McIlveen’s brace to put the hosts on course for a place in Monday’s draw – until Millar struck again late on.
Gormley told Kilwinning Rangers TV after the game: “I thought that was a good proper cup tie with two teams going full throttle in their first time playing in the tournament.
“It was enjoyable in spells but we got out of jail with a last-minute equaliser but we did enough to see it through and a draw you could probably say was a fair result.”
The boss also spoke about the goals his team conceded, “It was a lapse of concentration at the back, in midfield and lack of concentration up front with people not putting the ball in the net in the first half.
“At 1-0 there was always a chance they could go up the park and score and ultimately they did. We will assess the two goals we conceded but we created enough to put them away.
“It was good at times and frustrating at times but, I’m looking forward to next week and we’ll see what happens.”
Despite his two goals, Millar himself said he wasn’t entirely happy with his own performance – feeling he should have put the tie firmly in the visitors’ hands.
Millar told the club’s social media: “I think we controlled the game for the first half an hour but we let them come back into the game. We knew they were going to come out in the second-half and throw bodies forward.
“Before they scored I could’ve made it 2-0 and put the game potentially out of sight but it’s all ifs, buts and maybes.
“To get the goal in the last minute is fantastic to keep us in the tie and take it back to Buffs Park.
“There’s a wee sense of relief because I also had that opportunity in the first half that was blocked and a chance that I put wide from inside the box, which personally I think I should be scoring.”
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